


A Cage Of Iron And Magic

by AidansQueen



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Comfort, F/M, Smut, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-31
Updated: 2014-05-31
Packaged: 2018-01-27 19:44:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1720325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AidansQueen/pseuds/AidansQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU where Belle is rescued by Robin from Regina's dungeon and she finds out that Rumplestiltskin has been captured and imprisoned in a cage.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Cage Of Iron And Magic

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own any of it or make any money from any of it, all of it belongs to those who created Once Upon A Time.

It was a simple request, Belle had thought. James and Snow White were hesitant nonetheless to grant her such a request. However in the end they let her see him, and as her heart beat a quick step nearly right out of her chest she was afraid they might just change their mind. When she was before the thick wooden door that led to his cell the guard warned her she would go in alone because it wasn't safe for anyone to be in there with him for too long. She would go in alone and face him alone, and he would retrieve her in a short time. When she was inside the door was locked soundly behind her, and she was left alone in the dim darkness, the pathway illuminated only by the faint light of a single torch.

“Rumplestiltskin,” she said aloud into the darkness, walked tentatively towards the iron bars of the cell.

It was cold in this dark place, and it sent shivers down her spine. She nervously shifted the skirts of her new dress, supplied by Snow White after her captivity in Regina’s dungeon left her in nothing but rags. She’d only just reached the bars when he emerged from the inky blackness of the cell, his face pressed between the bars and his wide dark eyes wild with astonishment. She nearly jumped out of her skin at his sudden appearance, letting out a squeal of fright. He was a strange creature, catlike as he climbed down the bars of the cell from his perch near the ceiling. She wondered how high up the ceiling of his cell went, since it was built into the side of a cave.

“Rumple,” she said softly stepping closer, “they told me you’d been imprisoned.”

His long nimble fingers reached out through the bars, sliding across her shoulder for the briefest of moments. He breaths in sharply, and then narrows his eyes, a hiss of rage as he steps away from the bars and turns away from her, glaring into the darkness behind him, “Lies…all lies….” He mutters and then turns to her again, pressing up against the bars so that he might see her better, “You’re here….your _real_.”

“Of course I’m real,” she says, confused by his behavior but nonetheless glad to see him, “I came down here to see you.”

“To see _me_?” he says and titters lightly, a humorless glee that worries her, “why ever would you do that?”

“I missed you,” she says gently, “I know you say you care nothing for me but I also know that’s a lie….I…. _I love you_ Rumplestiltskin…I won’t turn away from you and you can’t just run me off.”

“ _Hush_ ,” he says quietly though his expression is a mixture of sorrow and relief as the door behind her opens with a soft creak, “we've got company.”

Behind her Belle can hear Snow White’s voice, filled with worry and determination, “I will not leave her to face him alone James….I should have never allowed her to see him…he’s _dangerous_.”

“Snow he’s hardly a threat from behind those bars, he can’t hurt her,” James reassures her. The two of them step into the room, and upon seeing both Rumplestiltskin and Belle watching them she straightens her skirts and clears her voice before speaking.

 “Rumplestiltskin,” Snow White says as she remains near the door with Prince James, “You will keep your distance from her.”

“ _Oh_ ,” he says as his mood shifts, suddenly mischievous and wicked again, “I’m _popular_ today aren't I?”

“Belle,” James says gently, “step away from the cage.”

“I’m alright,” she sighs, infuriated that everyone still treats her like a fragile doll that is easily broken, “He won’t hurt me.”

“ _No_ ,” Rumplestiltskin says slyly, a Cheshire cat smile revealing blackened teeth, “I shan't hurt her….” and as if an afterthought, “she’s my _maid_.”

“You’re maid?” Snow says bewildered and Belle can see he’s leading her in a dance with words, silently wonders where exactly he’s going with this.

“ _Oh yes_ ,” he says casually, leaning against the bars as if he were out in the bright sunshine having a simple conversation about the weather, “we had a deal the two of us, I save her people if she comes with me…. _forever_ ,” the word he utters last is uttered in entirely darker tones, all playful banter draining from his face as he levels his gaze upon Snow White. “I made a deal with the lady and _nobody_ breaks a deal with me.”

“James where is he going with this?” Snow utters softly to him, keeping her gazed locked on Rumplestiltskin.

“I don’t know,” he whispers back, “but something tells me it’s not good.”

“You fired me,” Belle says quietly, unsure of what he’s planning.

“A deal is a deal dearie,” he says as he leans between the bars, leering at her a little too strangely, “and I’m ever so _changeable_.”

“You let me go…you can’t just change your mind now!” Belle says petulantly, scowling up at him.

“Of course I can dearie,” he titters wickedly, “you _promised_.”

“Well what would you have me do?” Belle frowns up at him, confused by his words, “you’re in a cage.”

“I get so very lonely in here too,” he says, a hand over his heart and a mocking frown curving his lips, “I would _love_ some company.”

“No,” Snow says pointedly, “Belle you don’t have to do anything he says…your free of him forever…that cage will hold him indefinitely.”

“Perhaps,” he says cunningly, walking the length of the cage as he runs a blackened claw along the bars, “but will her _people_ be free as well?”

“No,” Belle says horrified, “you _wouldn’t_!”

“Nobody breaks a deal with me dearie,” he scowls down at her, his mood gone dark and dangerous. His voice went cold as winter as he spoke, and even though Belle had the notion he was only toying with Snow White and frightening them all on purpose, she wondered what would drive him to have her imprisoned with him. He had wanted her gone and now he wanted to be imprisoned with her in this cage _forever_?

“Then I shall go with you,” Belle scowls up at him, “ _forever_.”

He giggles darkly, catching his tongue between his teeth. He cannot seem to stand still in his mirth, his hands and arms shaking with his glee. Belle turns her gaze away towards Snow, “You must let me in there with him.”

“Absolutely not,” Snow White said as her gaze shifted between her husband and the young woman, “He is confined to this cage,” Snow explains gently, “His magic cannot  reach beyond this cage and therefore he cannot bring you harm…you do not have to uphold such a deal.”

“Bring me harm _no_ ,” Belle said quietly as she gazed at the beautiful queen, “but my people will suffer if I fail to uphold my end of the deal.”

“Robin of Locksley did not free you from Regina’s dungeon only to have you be imprisoned in another my lady,” Prince James says gently.

“Tell me your highness,” Belle says to Snow, “Is he capable of magic from within those iron bars?”

“He is,” Snow says cautiously, ignoring the malicious giggle that erupts from the background, “but only from within those bars…not without.”

“And yet still he may not be capable of magic without but _withdrawing_ it on the other hand….my people would be in grave danger.” Belle tells them earnestly, a solemn expression on her face.

“I will not see you imprisoned with such a creature Belle,” Snow sighs, “please think this through.”

“ _The deal is struck_ ,” Belle echoes the words, reiterating what was told to her father from so what seemed like so long ago, “My word is good your highness and I do not break a deal.”

“We can send reinforcements to your home,” Prince James adds, “I will see to it personally that Avonlea will be safe.”

“You barely uphold your own walls against the evil queen,” Belle says gently, a sad smile on her face, “You have only just found each other…started your lives together…I will not see that destroyed because of me, I will keep my word. I promised him that I would go with him forever…and where he goes…I go.”

“A deal is a deal,” says the gleeful voice in the darkness behind them, “nobody breaks a deal with _me_.”

Belle can just barely make him out in the inky blackness of the iron cell, always moving as if unable to stand still, his body twisting in a triumphant joy as a wicked glee curves his lips, revealing jagged rows of yellow stained teeth black with rot. Wide dark eyes are riveted upon her, and though he hides it well she can barely make out the shock of her appearance in this cold dark cave. She cannot understand why he seems so surprised but she knows she will find out soon enough.

Snow stares at her for a long while, her expression wavering like her very will has manifested in her expression and the walls were slowly beginning to crack under pressure. Finally it fails and she sighs, closing her eyes as she turns to a nearby guard. “Let her into the cell. You will see to it she wants for nothing, that she is fed well and is warm. This cell is no prison for her; she enters of her own free will. She will have all that she needs, this place is a punishment for _him_ ….not her.”

“Snow,” Prince James intervenes but she shakes her head in response.

“If this is her will James we cannot stop her,” Snow says as she shifts her gaze between the creature in the cell and the beautiful young woman before them. Something strange and twisted was going on between them, some unspoken conversation went on that neither she nor James could see or hear. The young woman did not look frightened in the least; any sane person would have normally been terrified at the notion of being imprisoned with the dark one, but not Belle.

“We should have never agreed to let her come down here,” James scowls quietly.

“She was determined James,” Snow says as the guard takes Belle towards the little door that would let her into her the cell, “she would have come down here alone if we hadn’t.”

“What madness would drive her to want to be imprisoned with that imp?” James mutters as they turn to leave.

“Yes,” Snow muses thoughtfully, “what madness indeed.”

* * *

 

 

The guards all gather by the door hesitantly, ushering her through it and into the cell as quickly as they can before slamming the door soundly behind her. She feels sick afterwards and slightly dizzy, having felt a strange pull as she passed through the doorway.  It must be magically warded she figures, designed to prevent him from escaping should they need to open the door for any reason. She stares at the door woefully, wondering just what kind of trouble Rumplestiltskin as just gotten her into. When the guards leave and all is silent she turns in the inky black of the cell and finds herself standing inches away from him. She suppresses the urge to cry out, startled by his closeness. She wasn’t prepared to turn and find him standing so close to her, never even having heard him approach. He giggles as he stares down at her and she watches him from under dark lashes.

“Why does my appearance surprise you so?” she asks after a long silence.

“Regina _lied_ ,” he says as nimble fingers reach out and curl in the strands of her hair, brushing them away from her shoulder, “she told me your Father had you imprisoned in a tower and sent in clerics  to cleanse your soul….and you killed yourself…leapt from the tower in your sorrow and pain.”

“Oh,” Belle says with wide blue eyes, shaking her head fervently, “my Father did no such thing…oh no Rumple…I had such an adventure when I left your castle…and then I’d turned back…I’d meant to return to you and Regina captured me….she imprisoned me in her dungeon.”

“ _What_?” he hisses dangerously, his wide eyes dark with rage.

Belle turns her gaze downcast, sighing heavily, “I’d saved Prince Phillip unwittingly….I had no idea that the flaming lion I was chasing was actually a Prince….he’d been cursed by Maleficent and----…”

“Stop,” he says, wide dark eyes wild with shock and bewilderment, “you were chasing a _flaming lion_ ….you went up against _Maleficent_?”

“Actually its proper name is a _Yaoguai_ ,” Belle said bookishly, “and I never came anywhere near the sorceress herself no.”

She saw him visibly relax even in the darkness and if possible step closer to her, till their chests were nearly touching, “Belle I should have never said what I said…”

“It’s alright,” she says gently, turning her chin up to meet his gaze, “I understand.”

“No,” he says softly, “no….I love you too Belle….I love you and I was a coward,” he trails off quietly before adding, “I should have explained it better.”

“I should never have tried to kiss you without knowing all the facts first,” she responds gently.

He looks at her as if he feared she would disappear if he dared to blink. Almost reverently he cups her cheek and leans forward, kissing her forehead gently, “Forgive me,” he whispers brokenly and it is the first time she can hear true emotion in his voice.

“Always,” she murmurs backs and takes his hand in hers, his astonished gaze watching as she presses soft kisses to his knuckles before noting the dirt caked along his nails, “what _have_ you been doing in here?”

“Exploring,” he says impishly, weaving his fingers through hers as he pulls her deeper into the cave. She cannot see in such darkness and he guides her carefully until her hands meet solid rock.  “I do get quite a bit of privacy in here as well.”

“It’s so very dark,” she murmurs as she hears him moving around her but unable to see him, “However do you move about?”

“I can see better in darkness then you,” he says and she nearly jumps at how close he is too her, feels his breath on her left shoulder. He guides her to sit down and she finds there is a bed in this dark cave, feeble and piled with straw. “I do hope they give you a blanket,” he scowls into the darkness.

“Snow told the guards to provide me with all that I need,” she says in response, “speaking of which…why am I in here anyways?”

“Perhaps I was lonely,” he smirks and she giggles quietly, feeling him sit down beside her before growing somber, “I brought you in here to protect you.”

“Why?” Belle says, suddenly quiet alarmed, “why would you need to do that?”

“Soon,” he says wistfully as he stares off into the darkness, his voice taking on a distant edge as if he strained to see something invisible to Belle, “there is a terrible curse coming….it will consume all the land and take us to another. In this place I can protect you from it but from without I would be powerless to save you.”

“I could have bargained a way to get you out,” Belle says quietly, “surely…”

“No,” he shakes his head, “no…safer in here…soon enough you and I will be free.”

“Where did she get such a curse?” Belle frowns up at him, “surely she isn’t as powerful as all that.”

“I gave it to her,” he scowls into the dark and looks away from Belle, “I’m sorry precious…I thought you dead...I hated the whole world in those dark days…I wanted only to find my son.”

“Baelfire,” she nods, “tell me about him.”

He sighs softly and tells her the story of how he lost Baelfire and of why he built the curse at all. When he is done Belle just stares up at him with sorrow in her eyes, “You would destroy entire realms to find your son….that’s what love is…and I cannot be angry with you for it save for the fact that you would ruin so many lives with this horrible curse.”

“It’s the only way I’d be able to get to the realm he’s in,” Rumple says quietly, “This realm won’t be destroyed despite what Regina will say otherwise, only the people in it would be taken to another realm…a realm without magic.”

“Is there a way to reverse it?” Belle says quietly.

“Yes,” he nods, “Once the curse is cast it cannot be stopped...when we arrive in the new realm….twenty eight years will pass…and then the savior will come and break the curse. We won’t be there always precious….just a little while…and then you and I can leave and find my son.”

Belle nods solemnly and wonders just _how_ he knows all this “how do you know?” Belle asks softly, finding his left hand on his knee and weaving her fingers through his gently.

“I can see the future,” he tells her softly, “sometimes…and soon Snow White will return for answers.”

“That must be useful,” Belle says quietly, “to see the future. Though….how are we any safer inside this cell?”

“I can protect you from it,” he admits softly and with those words he produces a tiny blue glass bottle from his vest pocket. He turns her hand in his and presses the bottle into her palm gently, “you must drink this.”

In truth that bottle had been his only bargaining chip with Snow White. Its contents were a potion that would allow her to retain her memory when the curse came and swept them all to a new land. He himself had already imbibed a similar concoction, and was prepared for the curse. Now that Belle lived, now that she was real and sitting next to him he would never let her leave his side again. No, he would give his only bargaining chip to his sweet Belle, and she would retain her memories along with him. Together they would be in this new land, and while everyone else lost their happy ending, they alone would get to keep theirs.

               Sitting so close to her he ached to touch her, every time she touched his hand it sent little thrills through every fiber of his being, amazed that she would be willing to be so close to him, to touch him at all. When her soft warm lips grazed his knuckles he could hardly fathom it, felt the tears burning in his eyes. He was so overwhelmed by his relief he could have swept her up in his arms and never let her go again had he not thought he might have frightened her doing that.

               He watches her uncork the tiny bottle and tip the contents back, relieved to see that she drinks it all. He takes the bottle back from her and checks to ensure she drank it all before cleverly concealing the empty bottle in a crevice of the rock wall behind them.

“Now what?” Belle asks quietly.

“Now we wait,” he says as idle fingers toy with a lock of her dark hair.

And wait they did….for what seemed like _ages_.

Hours had passed and Belle had nodded off on the bed of straw while Rumple paced the length of the cave. Finally the little wooden door opened and a guard tossed wool blankets and a warm cloak in before slamming the door and locking it once more. Rumple gathered them up and pilled them up on the foot of the tiny bed, spreading the blankets over Belle gently while she slept.

               They brought food next, served up a hot meal for Belle and left Rumple nothing but cold porridge and water. Belle gladly shared her meal with him, though he ate little and scowled mostly at the walls at the far end of the corridor where the guards surely stood just on the other side of the rock face.

Eventually Belle lay down on the bed of straw and Rumple sat at the end of it, pulling one knee up against his chest and leaving the other to rest over the side of the bed.  “There’s plenty of room if you want to lie down,” Belle says eventually, feeling somewhat guilty for holding up his entire bed. It was tiny but if they lay on their sides, they might just be able to fit.

“Wanton woman,” he teases lightly, “would you have me lie with you?”

Belle blushes scarlet and she is certain he can see it in the darkness, his wicked giggling her confirmation of his sharp vision, “I merely meant to imply that if you were tired I would share the bed so that you might be able to rest too. There isn’t any point in being miserable when if we compromise we can both be content.”

“I don’t sleep very well,” he says quietly, “I might wake you.”

“I wouldn’t mind,” she answers lightly, “I don’t sleep well either.”

He doesn’t answer for so long she thinks he might just refuse her until he shifts around and stretches out behind her, his back against the rock wall and her front just barely grazing the edge of the tiny bed. They make it work but just barely, and as Belle shifts some of the blanket so that he might have a pillow to rest on she thinks this could be alright.

“Perhaps if you plead with Snow White and tell her of my awful sleeping habits, she might deem to grant you a larger bed,” he tells her softly and she giggles, feels his warm breath on the nap of her neck. It isn’t until she feels his lips, barely grazing against her skin that she stills. His fingers curl in her hair and pull it away from her neck, baring her soft skin to him. He ghosts kisses along her neck and shoulders, almost reverently, the fingers of his left hand barely grazing her shoulder in a soothing rhythm. Belle can barely process his actions, suddenly realizing that she has been holding her breath. She dare not speak nor move least he stop, least he suddenly remember himself and pull away from her.

“Do I bother you sweet rose?” he whispers so softly she barely hears him.

She shakes her head lightly in response, whispering a soft and astonished, “no.”

“Turn over for me precious,” he tells her quietly, “humor a fickle old monster.”

She turns and lays on her back so that he lay on his side beside her, pressed even more so against the far wall. He doesn’t seem to mind; in fact he seems quite pleased with the change in events. His right arm slides under her head and she is pulled into his embrace, his left hand burrowing in her dark curls as he tenderly presses feather light kisses over every inch of skin across her face and neck save for her lips. Belle hardly breaths as he does this, her heart hammering away in her chest. Her right hand rises instinctively, cupping his cheek. He presses into her palm and she slides her fingers across the mottled scales of his skin, hears his sharp intake of breath. His kisses become desperate but no less gentle, and everywhere his lips touch Belle feels warm. She aches to kiss him now, his lips grazing just along hers but never quiet touching.

               When he bites down on the flesh between neck and shoulder she gasps and arches up against him, much to his pleasure. He sooths the bite with his tongue, tenderly easing the soreness away until she feels only heat racing through her blood. He does it again along her shoulder and the hand that had been cupping his cheek now clutches his shoulder.

               He kisses every inch of skin bare to him, every last part of her he can find. He kisses her like a man starved for water. His Belle, his sweet Belle was alive and well and he would never let her leave his side again. He would spend these last few precious days with his sweet Belle, whatever time he had left with her before the curse came and swept them all up into a new land. He wanted every last second he had here in this land to spend with her, to hold her in his arms and kiss her until his lips bleed and her skin was warm and thoroughly lavished by his attention.

               In the new land he would see her again but it would not be the same. They would be the same but their world would be different. He knew they would figure it out eventually, but right now he only wanted to be himself and for Belle to be Belle and for them to lie here in the dark, kissing and cuddling until Regina’s wrath came to sweep them away.

“Rumple,” she breaths as his hand slides down her arm, stroking her side gently. She feels unbearably hot in her blue silk gown, his fingers curling in the fabric as he turns his gaze down to examine it curiously.

“Such pretty fabric,” he says softly, “a lovely color to suit you.”

“I do love blue,” Belle says softly, distracted by his other hand as it curls in her hair, “Snow White gave it to me.”

He dips his head low, presses kisses to her exposed collarbone and she lets out a soft little moan at the feel of his warm lips nibbling across her skin, “Oh please…” she whimpers, the material of her dress becoming unbearable as it rubs against her skin.

“Please what precious?” he asks, a wicked grin curving his lips. Part of him couldn’t possibly imagine that she was asking of him what he thought she asked of him. Part of him believed she would come to her senses any moment now and push him away.  It’s when she runs her fingers through the curls in his hair and whispers her love for him that he wants nothing more than to give her anything she wanted.

“I wish that I might be able to kiss you,” she says softly, woefully.

“Ah,” he says cleverly, had been mulling that very idea over for some time during their cuddling. He’d already come up with a solution too it, even though it was a bit unconventional. It was a simple spell that would prevent their lips from truly meeting, skin to skin. He knew how the kiss worked, knew that if he could get around skin to skin contact they might just be able to kiss without worrying about the consequences of it.  Did she truly want to kiss a monster though? He was a foul creature, his skin marred by warts and green scales, his wide dark reptilian eyes and his dark stained teeth. Would she let him slide his tongue against hers? Would she let him kiss her with the hunger that he feels for her?  “You may,” he says softly, “I have found a way to avoid our previous mishap.”

He waits with baited breath, he watches the understanding glimmer in her eyes and thinks for just a moment she might back down, might change her mind. Then she leans up and she presses her lips to his and its absolutely glorious. Her hand curls in his hair and he presses her down into the straw, kisses her hungrily and with a desperation that makes her moan into his mouth.  “Oh _please_ ,” Belle whimpers and she doesn’t even know what she’s asking for…she just needs _more_.

He groans when she arches into him, his mouth finding her shoulder as he feathers kisses across her bare skin. Belle gasps at the feel of him hard against her the skirts of her dress. She has never felt such a thing before but understood that this was what happened when men felt sexual desire for a woman.

“My sweet Belle,” he whispers against her skin, “my Belle….my Belle….”

“Yes,” she whispers back, “always.”

“What do you want of me?” he asks hoarsely, looks ragged with hunger of a different nature, his wide dark eyes burning with need.

“I want….I…I don’t quite know…I just need…” Belle stammers, unable to describe what she wanted. She wanted his lips everywhere; she wanted his hands to touch her. “I want…I want you to kiss me…more….everywhere…I want… _more_.”

He stills at her words and she wonders if he’ll pull away from her now until he asks, “Belle are you sure?”

“Yes,” she says softly, “Oh yes… _please_.”

“Where would you have me kiss you Belle?” he says coyly, and she can hear the slightest hint of playfulness in his voice now. She smiles at his words, feels a blush creeping across her cheeks, “Oh….I want…” She wants him to kiss her everywhere…but just then she really wanted him to touch her breasts…she wanted him to touch her stomach and her hips, “My…my….”she stammers, unable to say the words least she faint from embarrassment.

“Would you have me kiss your fingers?” he guesses playfully, bringing her fingers to his lips and kissing each one delicately, “Or perhaps your elbows?” he says as he presses a soft kiss to the tender skin of her arm, “Or maybe your ears?”

“No,” Belle laughs, as he leans close to slide his tongue along the shell of her ear. She gasps, the feel of it sending heat pooling between her legs, “ _Oh_ …” and then when he gently tugs on an earlobe she catches his hand in hers, pressing kisses to the knuckles, “I want….I want you to touch me…. _here_ …” she says, pressing his hand to cup her left breast.  She gasps when he lightly squeezes it, little electrical shocks of pleasure coursing through her body to pool between her thighs, “Oh yes…” she breaths, feels his soft lips and fingers tugging down the top of her bodice so that he might press feather light kisses to tops of her breasts. His fingers work at the lacings of the bodice, pulling them loose so that she lay before him with only her chemise to conceal her breasts.

His warm mouth trails kisses across the soft fabric and Belle bites down on her lip so hard she is sure she’ll draw blood. It’s an effort not to cry out, fearful that the guards might hear and come rushing in. She doesn’t doubt that Snow was afraid to leave her alone with Rumple, ordered the guards to pull her out if they think he’s hurting her. Her fingers slide across the leather of his vest, finding the very edge of the collar and dipping beneath it. He groans against her breath when her fingers slide across his skin and she grins in the darkness, enjoys the way he presses closer to her as she caresses his skin.

               When he has thoroughly lavished upon each breast he nips at her lips again, his tongue sliding against hers for an entirely new sensation. He explores her mouth leisurely, and Belle groans against his lips and closes her eyes. This was what she craved, to be thoroughly explored and thoroughly explore him in return. She wanted to be as close to him as she possibly could, her fingers twisting in his curls and pulling him closer, her tongue dancing with his. They pull away for a moment to catch their breath before starting again, and this time they are suddenly more desperate. His deft fingers pull at her chemise and she is bare to him, watches him lean back and gaze upon her. It might be so dark she could scarcely make out her hand in front of her face, but she knew he could see every last bit of her quite well.

               She yanks at the ties of his vest and frustrates herself with their knots only for a few moments before his magic unweaves them for her. Belle lets out a pleased little noise of relief, her fingers curving along the red fabric of his undershirt. She knows in such darkness he isn’t afraid to be bare before her, and she is somewhat woeful that she can’t really see him as well as he can see her. His movements are almost clumsy when he shrugs off the sleeves and vest of his leather outerwear, tossing it haphazardly off into the darkness somewhere. Belle leans up and slides her tongue along his collarbone and he groans loudly, her teeth lightly nipping at his strangely textured skin. 

               Her breath catches when he cups her bare breast with his hand and rolls her nipples between his thumb and forefinger.  His tongue dances across the tips of each hardened peak and Belle arches up into him instinctively, earning a mischievous giggle from him for her efforts.  His lips travel downward, feathering kisses over every inch of skin he can reach. He pushes the bodice from her shoulders and she easily slides out of it, allowing him to undo the silk ribbon tying her chemise closed. He pulls it open right down to her navel and kisses his way across her skin, the soft curls of his hair sliding across her skin. She thinks she might faint from the feeling, from the stars bursting behind her eye lids as his tongue slides across her skin and swirls around her navel. His left hand lifts her skirts and slides up to her knee and stops, not daring to go any farther unless she allowed it. “Belle….” He murmurs and she nods quickly, blinking away the sudden pleasure of his hand on her leg. When his warm fingers travel up over her thigh she moans and arches under his touch, pressing him impossibly closer.

“Rumple,” she whimpers quietly in the dark, “Oh _please_.”

               What on earth she could possibly want right then she wasn’t certain, but his fingers travelling closer towards the apex between her thighs made her ache for him to touch her _there_. The place where her body was aflame, heat pooling deep inside of her and making her slippery and wet between her thighs. He teases her, lifting her left leg up to press kisses over every inch of skin, and Belle can’t help but be pleased by his through exploration of her body. When his lips touch her inner thigh she gasps, fingers clutching in his hair. She is suddenly aware of how desperately she wants to touch him, her fingers sliding along his ears and neck as his teeth nip at the delicate skin of her inner thigh. “Belle,” he says softly, “are you sure you want this?”

“ _Yes_ ,” she breaths softly into the dark, “ _Yes_ Rumple.”

Her breathy moans of encouragement are all the answer he needs, his lips pressing kisses to every place but the one place she wanted him. Her skirts are pushed higher up over her thighs until they are bundled up near her stomach. When she feels his tongue slide along the tender lips of her heat she lets out a strangled noise in the back of her throat, struggles to keep quiet least the guards hear her cries.

“Did you like that precious?” he whispers against her skin and does it again, and this time she can’t contain the deep throated moan that erupts from her lips.

“Yes,” she whispers, “Yes…that…do it again,” she says softly, “ _please_.”

“Such a polite and well-mannered lady,” he murmurs softly, “so _cordial_ to such a foul monster you are.”

“You aren’t a monster Rumple,” Belle manages only just barely, her breathing labored and heavy. His tongue swirls across the tiny bundle of nerves between her thighs and her hips jerk towards his touch, earning her yet another wicked giggle from her lover.  When his mouth and fingers join together, filling her with new sensations she is positively writing beneath him. “Yes….Yes…just like that Rumple…. _just like that_!” His touch was pushing her towards something, something grand and beyond reckoning. She wasn’t certain what it was, was never explained to her when her governess explained the duties of a wife in the marital bed. She was only taught what to expect, not this….nobody told her _anything_ about this….

               Her whole body clenches and every nerve ending is singing with joy, and she cries out involuntarily as if unable to contain the pleasure within her. When she quiets he is breathing nearly as heavy as she is, and he meets her lips with a blazing kiss of desperation and hunger. She can taste herself on his lips, and it makes her hunger for more. Her fingers slide down bravely, brushing against the hardened bulge in his leather pants. He gasps and pulls away; wide dark eyes alight with fire in their depths.

“Let me touch you,” she whispers softly, already mourning the loss of contact between their bodies as the cold air of the cell rushes between them at his sudden movement.

“ _Belle_ ,” he says almost desperately, astonishment and joy in his voice. 

She reaches out for him again and cups his cheek, sliding her fingers along his throat and down his chest towards his navel. The red fabric of his undershirt deters her from touching his skin and this frustrates her. Deftly she lifts it up from the bottom and urges him to remove it, and he does so all too quickly, all but throwing it away from him in the process. In the dark he is braver she thinks, because he knows she cannot really see him. She leans up and kisses him as he kissed her, butterfly kisses across his chest, swirling his nipples with her tongue and nipping at them with her teeth. He groans and she is pressed back down into the straw, his mouth crushing against hers as he devours her kisses. His tongue swirls against hers and his fingers find their way between her thighs, feels her wet and ready for him.

               Her own hands slide down his bare chest and cup him through his pants, her fingers sliding up and down the hardened bulge until he moans against her mouth into a near whimper of want. She undoes the tie of his breeches and bravely reaches for him, part of her fearful that she is being _too_ forward. He grabs her hands before she can achieve her goal and pauses, his forehead leaning against her shoulder as he rests between her thighs. “Belle,” he murmurs softly, “you don’t have to do that precious.”

“I want too,” she murmurs as she turns her head and presses a kiss to his cheek, “Let me touch you Rumple….I want you… _all_ of you.”

“Belle,” he says again and stills against her, realization of what she was saying dawning upon him suddenly, “Are you sure you want this….you want an ugly old monster like me?”

“I wouldn’t have anyone else,” she says softly, means it truly as tears glitter in her eyes at the sudden emotion. She loves him more than anything, knew that when she left his castle she would never want another as she wanted him. She would never love another as she loved him for the rest of her days.

He is hesitant at first and then finally he releases her hand to cup her face and kiss her tenderly, his thumbs wiping the tears from her eyes, “then I am yours.”

“As I am yours,” she whispers back softly.

Her hands slide across his skin, fingers finding him hairless and scaled even between his thighs. He gasps when her fingers curl around his hardened length and she explores him, marvels at the smooth texture of his skin. Here he is softer, green mottled skin where the scales are less inhibiting. He isn’t oversized though his girth has Belle wondering if he’d even fit; though she really has nobody to compare with, she’s never even seen a man’s naked body before. He hums his appreciation of her touch against her shoulder as his hips arch into her palm, her fingers sliding up and down his length. She touches the smooth tip of his cock, finding a sticky substance leaking from it. It works well as lubrication she thinks, unsure of what she is doing or how to do it. She goes off his responses, how much he likes or dislikes an action. He certainly seemed to like the way she was touching him just then, until his hand stills her actions and he is breathing heavily against her ear, “My love,” he says softly, “this will end before it even began if you continue on like that.”

“Oh,” Belle says a little hurt, flushing pink beneath him.

“No,” he says quickly at the sight of her embarrassment, “I merely meant it’s been….I haven’t done this in nearly….I won’t last very long if you keep touching me like that.”

“Oh,” Belle says with wide eyes and suppresses the urge to giggle at the comical look of struggle on his face. He was trying so hard to make this perfect for them and it was very touching. Belle cupped his cheek and leaned up to kiss him gently, apologetically, “Sorry.”

“No,” he whispers against her lips, “no need to apologize precious…” He shifts his weight between them and pulls her thighs up over his hips, his fingers gliding between the lips at the apex of her thighs, “so wet for me precious,” he murmurs appreciatively, “so wet for an ugly old monster...”

“Oh…please…” she says again and begins to think it’s the only thing she remembers how to say lately, feels the weight of his cock pressing against her inner thigh as he shifts her closer to him. He grips it with his right hand, bracing his weight with his left beside her head and leans down closer, rubbing the tip of his cock against her entrance.

“Are you sure this is what you want precious?” He asks doubtfully, unsure of himself.

“I want you Rumple,” she reassures him, lifts her hips so that the tip of his cock presses against her, “I am yours.”

He groans at her words, bends down to catch her lips with his as he guides his cock into her. He pushes in slowly and Belle suppresses the urge to hiss in pain. Her body stretches to accommodate him, unused to the intrusion. When she feels her virtue break within her, she feels tears burn in her eyes and he stills, “I’m sorry,” he pants quietly, “I’m hurting you….” He frowns and starts to pull away from her but she catches his hips with her hands.

“It’s alright,” she says softly, “keep going.”

He is hesitant at first, stubborn in his determination not to hurt her. Finally when she raises her hips to his, pushing him deeper within her he submits to her will and eases himself deeper, filling her until their bodies meet. He waits a long while, allows her to adjust to the new sensation of him being within her before he starts to move. It’s a bizarre sensation, the texture of his cock making for a delicious friction between them. The pain subsides and she begins to feel the prickle of pleasure, heating pooling anew between her thighs.

               It isn’t long before she’s panting and he’s breathing heavily above her, their hips moving against each other in a steady rhythm. Her governess once told her the first time always hurts, and usually it is never so pleasant. His thrusts are steadily getting harder and their skin is slick with sweat, the noise of heavy breathing and skin striking skin is all that is heard inside the dark cell.  Finally he gasps and jerks against her, one final thrust pressing down upon her until she feels heat filling her insides. He is still after that and slumps against her. She takes his weight gladly, slides her fingers through his sweaty curls and brushes them away from his face.

               Finally he rolls off of her and curls up behind her, dragging her back up against him and curling his arm possessively around her waist.  “Did I hurt you precious?” he asks after a long silence.

“No,” she says softly in return, “No…that was….that was _lovely_.” In truth it was, and Belle had only begun to feel the prickles of another one of _those_ sensations, when her whole body would light up for him and she would cry out into the dark. She wanted to do that again, and this time she wanted to touch him.

He snickers into her hair and she blushes brightly, his arms curling tighter around her, “You enjoyed a foul monsters cock did you?”

“Oh!” she giggles as she smacks his hand lightly, “filthy words!”

“Are you sure I didn’t hurt you precious?” he says after a pause, worry in his voice.

“I’m sure,” she reassures him gently, patting his hand lightly, “I want too…if you….if you want too…do it again.”

“ _Again_?” He intones astonished, “You want…you want me to touch you again?” Never in all his days did he think Belle would have him touch her again. Not in this form, not like this. He was astonished that she’d even let him touch her now, let him hold her and pleasure her as he did.

“Yes,” Belle says softly as she lifts the hand at her waist to her lips and kisses the knuckles lightly, “If you…I mean….we don’t have too….I wasn’t implying…Oh…” Belle falls silent, her cheeks flushing pink. She sounded perfectly wanton right then, ashamed of her behavior. She made herself too forward, and now she behaved wickedly.

“Little wanton,” he says against her ear and kisses the shell of it, “you would have me ravish you here in the dark again?”

“Yes,” she says after a short pause, gathering her bravery.

“Don’t be ashamed precious,” he says softly, seeing the shame in her eyes as he kisses her neck and shoulders and pulls her tighter against him, “I meant not to embarrass you.”

“I didn’t mean to seem so….I sound so very… _wanton_ …I mean if you don’t want--…” Belle starts but he cuts her off before she can finish.

“I want you very much,” he admits softly, “I want more than just your body…I want _all_ of you always,” he finishes in almost a whisper.

“I want all of you too,” she replies, “Always...I did promise forever you know.”

“When we began this venture I wasn’t in the mind of love,” he tells her truthfully.

“I know,” Belle says softly, “neither was I…..I just...you grew on me I suppose,” she laughs softly.

“As you did me,” he says quietly, “I tried not too…but you were impossible _not_ to love.”

“You tried very hard to be horrible too me,” she nods, “but I knew better.”

“You did,” he snickers in her hair, “no matter how I tried to disguise a good deed you saw what I was up too.”

They fall silent in the darkness as Belle stares at the far end of the cave, toward the tiny flickering light of the single and only torch. “How long shall we be in here?”

“Until the curse comes,” he says in response and then frowns as if in deep thought. He is quiet for so long she wonders what he’s thinking about until finally he adds, “Regina will be visiting us soon as well,” he tells her seriously, “and when she arrives I don’t want her to know you’re here.”

He is already scheming, building plans that will outwit even Regina. This cave was so dark he could hide her at the back of it and Regina would never know she was even there at all. He would lure her into a false sense of security and then pull the rug right out from under her when the curse hits. They’d all wake up in a new land and he’d have Belle by his side forever, and Regina wouldn’t be able to do a damn thing to stop him.

“When she comes precious,” he tells her pointedly, “you will stay here in the back of the cave, stay in the darkness where she cannot see you and make not a sound…I don’t want her to know you’re here.”

“Alright,” Belle says quietly, “what are you going to do?”

“What I must,” he says softly and kisses her temple gently, “Regina is tricky but I taught her everything she knows.”

“You did?” Belle says bewildered.

“Yes,” he admits sheepishly, “It was during a time before I met you,” he says gently, “I’ve taught many people to use magic.”

“Tell me about it,” she says softly, “tell me about your life before you met me.”

Together they lie in the dark and he tells her many stories, stories of deals he’s made and people he’s met. The places he’s traveled and the things he’s done…even the dark things that he’s ashamed to admit. Belle takes it all in gracefully and bares him not ill will for some of the foul things he’s done. When she finally nods off to the sound of his voice lulling her to sleep he falls silent and thoughtful, musing over the day’s events. Soon they would be in a new realm, and there he would be able to give Belle everything she has ever wanted. In that realm he would have all the power, they would be free to be together and nobody would ever keep them apart again. His sweet Belle, alive and well and real in his arms, he would never let her go again. How she could ever love a beast such as he, he would never know.

He knew one thing though…he knew he wanted to make her happy. Anything and everything he could do to achieve that would be one of his goals in this new world. It won’t be easy he thinks; he’d have to fool Regina into believing they were both cursed just the same as everyone else. Surely she couldn't be so thick as to think he’d actually allow her to curse him too? Then again, Regina was blinded by her vengeance for Daniels death; she wouldn't even consider that in such a state.

“Rumple,” Belle murmurs sleepily, “it’s cold.”

“Ah,” he says softly and pulls the wool blanket up over them both. Belle turns in his arms and curls against his chest, pressing her face into the crook of his arm. He curls against her and nods off himself eventually, and his dreams he sees the future.

He hopes that future will show him with her forever, but he also hopes that future will give him back his son as well.


End file.
